Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-06-01

- nons that the machinery Of legisla.
y - = such that even after . measure Is
Geod into . law BY the nearly unani.
- asDsnt OF both houses, It may be de-
1od b one or more Of the officers Of one
X Nh bodies. The new revenue bill was
Dod through both chambers with gen.
aoDeat, yet went to the governor with
t ~ signature Of the president OF the
2noo. The law requires the signature Of
- pessidlng officers to be affixed to all
1Wo, h the presence Of their respective
501ies, . note Of such signature being
knno1e on The record. In default Of the sig.
&ntnre Of the president Of the Senate, the
\ Ssyssnoe = unable to sign the revenue bill
- declare It to be law.
This b the decision Of his advisers and
EoomD 70 b sound. As the president is
~ authorized to sign in the presence Of
Ene Senate there Il no way of now obtain
~ ~ signature, save BY reconvening the
sGDdy. Mr.. Geo. Handy Smith, the presi.
ut Of the Senate at the adjournment,
@rngD that be ID not satisfied that he may not
SC1gn the bill now, IL tho Senate record
2yAOWS that declaration had been made
loooro Il that he was about to sign it.
sDat Mr.. Smith overlooks the 9th section of
- 81 article Of the constitution, which
s1pecincally declares that the presiding
So6loer shall sign all bills in the presence of
- House over which he presides, and this
sundoubtedly must be done.
& But It would seem that the omission may
I. - corrected by reconvening the Senate,
within the thirty days after adjournment
q allowed the governor to sign the bills and
4 ~ the laws in the Office Of the secretary of
ElltA It seena-Ao Be assumed generally
~ Mature must be reconvened to
the bill; but as 1t has been, indi s.
zx6ly, already enacted by both bodies and
has - its only defect the omission Of
The president Of the Senate to
sign it in the presence of the body
it seems that this defect may be sup.
: piled by reconvening the Senate to witness
( the signature. The constitution does not
4 declare that this signature shall be made
during the session Of the legislature. Its
language is: The presiding officer of
sch House shall, in the presence of the
y House over which he presides, sign all
hills and joint resolutions passed by the
4 oDnsral assembly, after their titles have
besn publicly read Immediately before
algning and the fact of signing shall be
: entered on the Journal"
i may be, however, that there is some
rndical objection to this seemingly simple
\ Way out Of the hole. But what com.
Umtazy the story is upon legislative
1sehods /! How higher than the states
upceme power rises that of the powers
eaeEk We are asked to believe that
this was an accidental occurrence. 1t
= asking . great deal too much. 1t
= not at all inconceivable that it was a
seoncocted scheme to defeat the bill on
!, - part Of hirelings. The reputation of
- assembly's employees does not stand 50
hlgh - to demand Q rejection of the sus
Dlcion. But 1t is possible, If not probable,
that 1t was negligently and not malicously
4ooe; but this does not make the situation
much more comfortable for the guilty; for
onch negligence is crime.
This development will have good effect.
~ will arouse public attention to the
nsthods of legislation, and show how we
~ habitually abused by those entrusted
With the government. 1t ought to secures a
hetter class Of men for the legislature and
3nrn out to the boneyard, the party hacks
who browse in the public pasture.